


Unaccompanied Adults

by tmo



Category: Naruto
Genre: Airports, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, Hijinks & Shenanigans, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:46:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29232507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmo/pseuds/tmo
Summary: Tired strangers have the airport to themselves.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Comments: 5
Kudos: 36
Collections: A Very Special KakaIru Exchange!





	Unaccompanied Adults

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lesbianshibs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesbianshibs/gifts).



"OH SHIT," is not something you want to hear when your plane is about to take off. That was how Iruka ended up back at the airport without a flight home, not for another eight hours at least.

The plane hadn't crashed. It had narrowly missed another plane but not narrowly enough apparently since a wing had been clipped. Not Iruka's definition of almost but who was he to critique someone's word choice? It wasn't like he was a bestselling author. Oh, wait, he was. 

Regardless, he was stuck at an airport in the middle of nowhere for what was going to be a long wait. He was starting to regret visiting home for the winter. At least he'd seen Naruto, the step-siblings were always so much fun to watch bicker and were great writing inspiration. Which was what he told himself as an hour went by, watching his phone struggle to stay alive as everyone else in the airport found hotels for the night.

His charger was broken, his wallet was empty and his cards were maxed out from gifts. The one time he wanted to get them good gifts…

Thankfully, they'd loved them and he got to take them out to dinner with that money. They'd gotten so big. How much did they eat to get that big? Aw, man, Iruka really had to stop thinking about food.

Airport security quickly stopped his thoughts in place when a door down the hall was flung open and a suitcase was rolled out. Hands on their hips, the guards surveilled as a tired-looking man started to roll his suitcase away. The traveller glanced back at the guard and asked, "Wait, so, just another ticket? No hotel room? Sorry note?" 

The man chuckled at his own joke as the door slammed shut in his face and he sighed dejectedly.

Curious, Iruka watched as the guy gathered himself, fixed his red tie and proceeded to head towards the small waiting area Iruka had been waiting in for the past hour. He hadn't seen that guy at all. He would've remembered, hair like that would stand out even on short people. 

There were four terminals in the entire airport so Iruka could guess that this guy's flight was definitely not leaving for the next few hours since the airport was practically closed for the evening. 

Listening to the man’s grumbling as he passed, Iruka’s curiosity grew with every step. Finally, the stranger sat across the aisle, a comfortable distance away with another sigh.

"What was that about?" Iruka hadn't even realized he asked it until his new acquaintance looked down at Iruka from the ceiling.

"Well," He started, half confused that Iruka was talking to him. The airport was basically empty though. What else was he going to do? 

"I was detained."

"Detained?" Iruka reeled and the other man shook his head vehemently.

"Kind of. Mainly, brought in for questioning."

“For what?” Iruka took a bite of his granola bar.

When the other man scoffed in embarrassment, Iruka caught on too easily and grinned. “Was it horrible? Did you try to smuggle something across state lines?”

“You could say that,” Mystery man slowly started but Iruka was already leaning in, eager to tease and prod.

“Was it a water bottle?”

“I wish.”

“A box cutter?”

“Not this time.”

“A brass instrument?”

“What?” 

Iruka shrugged. “They don’t allow them in carryons.” 

“Now, you’re making me curious.” 

Iruka just winked at his new friend who was chuckling but that still didn’t answer Iruka’s question. “Are you going to make me play twenty questions just to find out what you brought?”

“Maybe,” He winked right back at Iruka who bit down on a smile.

“I’ll get it out of you. I’ve got lots of time,” Iruka promised confidently and was happy to find his new friend smiled along with his antics. 

“So, since we have all night… Kakashi Hatake.” A slim hand reached across the space between them and Iruka reached right back.

Shaking Kakashi’s hand, Iruka couldn’t help but notice how warm it was compared to his. “Iruka Umino, nice to meet you Kakashi.”

* * *

“You are looking at the best art teacher at Konoha High,” Kakashi said as they wandered to the vending machines together and Iruka pretended to be surprised.

“Oh? Well, I didn’t think I was in the presence of a celebrity.” Iruka patted his pant pockets. “Where did I keep my pen? Are you comfortable signing body parts?”

“As long as you don’t mind my horrible writing,” Kakashi shot right back.

“Wait, didn’t you just say you were an art teacher? The best at your school?” 

“Did I mention I was the only one?”

“Now, that makes a lot of sense.”

Kakashi touched his chest in hurt. “Wow, are you implying I look like a bad art teacher?”

“Your words, not mine,” Iruka laughed as they stepped up to the nearest vending machine to inspect its goods. Goods that were few and far between.

“Well, energy drinks, nuts, plain chips and... Is that a sandwich?” Iruka was bent over, trying to discern if he was right about the last one, and Kakashi moved in too. Since it was a risky maneuver, Kakashi decided against it and they ended up with armfuls of junk food that Kakashi started devouring even before they got back.

“They made me sit there for almost three hours. Just question after question,” Kakashi muttered as he filled his face and Iruka couldn’t help but find his whimpers adorable. 

Unexpectedly, Iruka’s night was starting to look up. Out of all the horrible things to happen tonight, Iruka wouldn’t have thought he’d be stuck in an airport overnight. Thankfully, it was with a cute art teacher.

Plus, it was the perfect setup for a classic meet-cute. 

A trope Iruka was all too familiar with because he’d written about them in detail, specifically in four of his books. Of course, those had all been fiction and Iruka had never experienced those in real life. To be quite honest, Iruka was both in denial that this was happening and questioning whether his own stories were realistic at all. If yes, then this night would end in a lot more than just friendship.

If this was one of Iruka’s books, a lot wouldn’t begin to cover it. 

Iruka’s cheeks burned at the very idea that the night could go there. 

His acquaintance seemed to notice too. “What? You want some?”

A handful of nuts was suddenly dropped into Iruka’s hands and as Iruka ate them, he tried not to think of the horribly dirty euphemisms that were running through his head.

“I’m going to figure out what you brought,” Iruka quickly said through his mouthful and Kakashi simply chuckled around his food.

“You can try. That’ll give me time to figure you out,” Kakashi said with such a genuine smile, his eye crinkling and a dimple creasing his cheek. That face had Iruka’s breath in its light and he couldn’t hide his smile or his flushed face. 

“Who? Me?” Iruka played it off unsuccessfully, according to Kakashi’s lingering smile.

Still, they ended up back in their usual spots with food, discussing airport policies and why brass instruments weren’t allowed in the main cabin.

“Assuming you have access to it, you could potentially bludgeon someone to death, I think.” Realizing his words, Kakashi’s eyes went wide. “That sounds like I’ve thought about it a lot.”

“Have you?” Iruka prodded.

“Not consciously. Well, maybe earlier with the TSA agents,” He admitted quietly. “But not with a trombone, that’s for sure.”

“Fireworks,” Iruka guessed.

“Nope. My turn. Why here? Why Kumo?”

Iruka shrugged. “My brother was on spring break so I came to visit.”

“Wow, that’s actually really sweet.”

“What about you?” Iruka asked right back and the teacher weakly laughed in embarrassment.

“Well, I was here for a friend of mine’s wedding.” Kakashi’s cheeks faintly blushed as he muttered, “I even have the bouquet as proof.”

“Oh, that’s great.” Then Iruka realized. “Wait, you caught the bouquet? As in, the bride threw it and you caught it?”

“Yeah, he actually has a really great throw,” Kakashi said. “My eye still kind of hurts from where it hit.”

“Oh, she got you in the eye, didn’t she?” Iruka winced, trying to see the tall man’s eyes. “Which one was it?”

“This one.” Kakashi pointed to his left one and Iruka leaned in to study it. Under the horrible lighting, he couldn’t really see any irritation but he forgot his mission when he realized how there was a little bit of dark brown in Kakashi’s grey eyes. Finding that he was staring for way too long, Iruka’s cheeks caught fire and he looked quickly away. 

“Wow, you heal pretty fast.” Iruka willed his heart to stop beating so fast and the rest of his body to fall in line. “Hey, to pass the time, let’s play a game or something.”

“Sure,” Kakashi said with a charming smile and Iruka had to gather his wits again as they looked through their phones for a game they both wanted to play.

* * *

“Uh… Making friends with really big monsters. The ones with wings but not birds.”

“How to Train Your Dragon!”

“Yes!”

“Next!” Iruka flipped his phone down and the next prompt came up.

“Bride that died but came back to life.”

“Bride of Frankenstein!” Iruka guessed but Kakashi shook his head.

“No, shot in the head. Coming for revenge.” When Iruka’s face looked confused beyond belief, Kakashi scoffed and waved at him. “Pass.”

Iruka flipped his phone down again and they both shrieked.

“Pass is _up_!” 

“I forgot! Just give me the next one!” 

“ _Iruka_!” Kakashi whined through his laughter but kept going anyway, “Big, green fairytale monster… But funny.”

“Shrek.”

After Iruka gave himself the point, Kakashi squinted at the screen and Iruka demanded, “Put on your glasses!”

“I don’t need them! Pass!” Kakashi yelled right back and when Iruka’s screen still said pass, he yelled in horror and grabbed Iruka’s hand to keep it straight so that the next prompt finally came up. Through their laughter, he said, “Clown scares kids for fun.”

“It!” The timer finally went off and they giggled over the score and Kakashi marvelled at how Iruka had never seen Kill Bill.

“I don’t like all that blood and stuff,” Iruka muttered sadly.

“That’s why they greyed out the last scene,” Kakashi offered as he swiped through his phone, reluctantly ready to start another game. “You know, as much as I like this game, I’m getting so bored.”

“We still have like…” Iruka checked his phone. “Six hours.”

“And seven for me.”

With a groan, Iruka flopped over onto the carpeted floor. “The luck that we both got stuck in the most boring hotel in the country.”

Kakashi grunted and flopped down next to him. “There are so many cool airports out there.”

“Like the ones that are open all night?” Iruka joked.

“That’s the bare minimum,” Kakashi laughed right back.

“Want to try and sleep?” Iruka asked, turning to his friend and admiring the bridge of his nose as Kakashi thought.

“Not yet,” The man said with a smirk. “I’m too awake.”

“Let’s find something to do then.” Standing, Iruka reached out his hand, Kakashi took it and for a moment they stood with hands still clasping before breaking off to explore their home for the night.

* * *

It turns out the airside of Kumo’s Airport had a total of two vending machines, one bathroom, seventy-six seats and a great view of nothing but grass and tarmac. Iruka had been to many airports but this one was definitely the one he hated the most. That was probably because he’d been here too many times to count. He’d never been delayed so much though. 

If it hadn’t been for his new friend, he probably would have called a taxi and booked a hotel room but even at two in the morning, he was still wide awake and pointing out places he’d like to visit on the world map they’d found. 

As they took turns playing music from their phones, Iruka found out that Kakashi had a penchant for musical theatre and that the art club he managed was making sets for his school’s theatre club. So, Iruka found himself singing along to songs he barely knew as Kakashi belted out lyrics in a range so wide it surprised both of them. He was so infectious in his quiet enthusiasm, Iruka even started dancing to his music, unembarrassed thanks to Kakashi's confidence.

The fun didn't stop there though. Kakashi held up his phone and grinned even more devilishly than Iruka had all night.

A difficult feat.

"You've barely told me about yourself, Iruka Umino," Kakashi carefully started to which Iruka shrugged innocently. "So, I have a gauntlet for you. One prank call. If you can get it to last at least five minutes, I'll tell you why I got stopped by security."

Iruka's eyes lit up. "Two minutes. Five is impossible."

"Four minutes. Final offer."

Iruka snatched Kakashi's phone from his hand and thought for a moment. "Do you want me to call someone you know or…?"

"As long as they're awake." Kakashi watched eagerly and Iruka saw right through him: the good boy who couldn't pull pranks but lived vicariously through others. Well, Iruka had always been the wild child and since he'd been home so much lately, he was excited to goof around. 

“Challenge accepted.” He pointed dramatically pointed the phone at Kakashi and declared, “Be prepared to lose, pretty boy.”

“Pretty boy?” Kakashi chuckled but Iruka wasn’t listening. He was already scrolling through contacts until he found one labelled ‘Granny’. 

With a grin, he dialled her number in private mode because he was a smart cookie and had done this too many times to count. 

As Kakashi bounced from one foot to the other nervously, Iruka stood confidently and waited for Granny to pick up.

“Who are you calling?” Kakashi tried to whisper but Granny was already answering.

“Hello?” A woman answered, her words slurred slightly from what sounded like sleep.

“Gran, thank god,” Iruka launched right away without waiting for her to respond. “I need your help.”

“Wha?” The bleary woman asked at first but then her tone switched. “Wait, give me a sec here. Oi! Jiraiya, get off my lap.”

There was a lot of shuffling and Iruka stared at Kakashi in confusion who looked back with more confusion. It kinda sounded like… No, a grandmother wouldn’t be answering the phone drunk.

She finally came back to the phone, saying, “Okay, you need help?”

“Yes, like, emergency help. I’m stuck in the bathroom and I don’t know what to do. It happened again,” Iruka quickly rushed out but Granny was already stopping him again.

“Wait, slow down. What happened again?”

“Do you remember Christmas of ‘05?” Iruka asked, Kakashi’s eyes narrowing at him.

“Maybe,” Granny mumbled to Iruka’s surprise.

“Well, it happened again.” 

“What?”

“I happened again. I lost my Ultimate Edition Goofy figurine.” 

There was a pause on the line but the airport was suddenly filled with sputtering laughter that Iruka had to hush Kakashi for. 

“Wait, wait,” The woman slurred and Iruka was a hundred percent certain that she was drunk. He’d called the right person. “How did you lose it?”

“I don’t know. I put it on the kitchen table to clean it and the next thing I knew, it was missing. disappeared, gone with the wind,” Iruka dramatically retold and while Kakashi held back peals of laughter, Granny was holding back chuckles too.

“Do you know anyone who could’ve taken it?”She asked through small chuckles.

“I have a good idea. I mean, it’s been years since I’ve seen him but he’s always been jealous of my Limited Edition collection of Mickey memorabilia.” Iruka paused for effect. “I never guessed he would go this far though.”

“Who?” Granny demanded.

And Iruka answered in a long-drawn whisper, “Chuck Norris.”

“AHAH!” Both Granny and Kakashi audibly fell over, the teacher doubled over on the floor.

Iruka was trying not to laugh hard either but the laughter coming from all sides was so infectious, especially the way Kakashi laughed with his whole chest. Iruka didn’t have time to admire though, he had Grannies to entertain.

So, he pulled himself together and gasped, “I need your help. I’m putting together a team. We might not make it out alive, but we have to try. For Goofy.”

He lost both of his audience members to laughter and he couldn’t help but snicker to himself, especially when Granny said, “Okay, I’m in. Anything for Goofy.”

“Perfect,” Iruka croaked. “We meet at dawn.”

“Just one question,” Granny gasped, finally sounding sane. “Who the heck is this?”

Lastly, Iruka whispered into the phone, “Fate.”

Then he hung up and Kakashi howled so loud it echoed through the airport.

His cheeks were so flushed that Iruka couldn’t help but laugh along.

Trying to pick himself off the floor, Kakashi wiped away tears as Iruka punched the air, showing off his phone logs. “Hah! Six minutes and twenty-two seconds. See for yourself.”

Kakashi just waved him off and looked up from his seat on the floor with a grin, “I believe ya.”

It was so genuine and his face was so flushed Iruka couldn’t help the feeling of his own face turning the same colour and he helped Kakashi off the floor again. “By the way, where does your grandmother live?”

Confused, the teacher blinked. “My grandmother? Well, at Saint Hashirama’s Cemetery.”

Iruka blinked right back and once he realized what Kakashi meant, he flinched. “Wait, wait, so who’s ‘Granny’, then?”

When Kakashi saw who Iruka called as he took back the phone, he scoffed. “Wow, you actually picked the best person in my contacts.”

“Okay, but who is she?” Iruka whined. “And in what timezone is she because she did not sound sober.”

“Well, knowing Tsunade, it doesn’t matter what timezone she’s in. Not when it comes to drinking. She’s technically my great-aunt but I call her Granny to bug her.” 

“She actually seems like a fun person.” Iruka looked over and Kakashi was looking off with a soft smile.

“She really is.”

They started to wander back towards their luggage as questions started to bubble through Iruka’s mind. Before he coils really come up with a question that was more personal but not too personal, Kakashi stopped and leaned in to ask, “So, ready to see why security stopped me?”

* * *

Iruka had expected maybe a bottle of liquor or an adult toy of some kind.

What he didn’t expect was for Kakashi to pull out a bullet from his carry-on suitcase.

A bullet on a keychain, to be specific.

He handed it to Iruka casually and that was when he realized there was a notch in the side.

“Is this…” Iruka started as he marvelled over it.

“A bottle opener? Yes.”

The writing on the side of it read ‘Kumo’s Museum of Science and Engineering’ and Iruka held back a laugh as Kakashi explained, “So, I have a friend back home who’s really into weapons from the 20th and 19th century. That was supposed to go in my checked bag but I kind of forgot it was in there.”

“They kept you in there for… how long? Over this?” 

“Two hours. Almost three,” Kakashi said with a shrug. He didn’t seem too broken up about it and Iruka frowned for him.

“That is not right. Like, how could they not tell it was a bottle opener?” Iruka muttered, frowning to himself.

“Well, I think it was more because I’m a middle-aged man with scars.” 

Iruka noticed the one Kakashi pointed out through his brow and lid but still grumbled, “Still, what did they keep you for? Were they questioning you? Looking to see if you had a record?”

“I was actually alone for most of it. After I missed my flight, time just kind of… Melted away. Just like my sanity.” Kakashi shrugged again and muttered to himself but Iruka could still hear, “Besides, could've been worse. I know too many people with different skin who have."

Iruka nodded and let the bullet rest in his fingers, thinking about the news and even his own experiences where his skin colour somehow mattered more than reality. Between them, Iruka could see how they lived different lives and were complete strangers, how they had different experiences and yet had met here. Iruka wondered why Kakashi was starting to resemble all the main love interests he'd written about.

"Hey, do you want to watch a movie?" Iruka asked, trying to lighten the mood. With Kakashi's nod, they took the blankets the staff had given them and made themselves burritos with Iruka's laptop propped up across from them. They'd picked Iruka's favourite rom-com and Iruka relished in Kakashi's laughter, how he seemed to enjoy watching what Iruka did even though he made comments about the acting every now and then.

Even though Iruka started to feel tired, he wanted to keep talking, ask more questions and just be around Kakashi more. All sorts of questions started to bubble up like wanting to know more about his great-aunt and his family and friends and the wedding he’d been to. There were so many things he wanted to ask but he had to remind himself that this was a man he’d just met. They didn’t know each other beyond names and bits and pieces. Iruka had especially avoided talking about his life because he worried about Kakashi finding out about his pen name and the kinds of stories he wrote. 

That was a one in a million chance though and Iruka decided he didn’t mind sharing it but to talk to Kakashi more. About one of the characters in the movie, he said, “He reminds me of my brother. He goes to school on the West coast. I don’t get to see him too often but we used to be really close.”

In a moment of vulnerability, Iruka admitted, “I used to watch this movie when I missed him and it felt like he was there.”

Realizing what he’d said was kind of corny, Iruka coughed and was about to brush it off but Kakashi stopped him. “I used to do the same thing. Well, not with Icha Bachelor Paradise but my friend is a lot like this one character in a book I used to read constantly. So, whenever I read it, I think about… Goofing off in the woods by his house in the middle of the night.”

“I bet you did a lot of the goofing,” Iruka joked.

“Jokes on you, I was actually quite studious.”

“Oh? You? No way.”

“Yup, top of my class. Science Scholarship,” Kakashi boasted jokingly. “And look at me now.”

He opened his hands as Iruka’s chuckle faded and the writer noted how serene Kakashi seemed. “You look happy.”

Watching Iruka with a tenderness in his face, Kakashi said softly back, bumping their blanket burritos together, “Right now, I really am.”

It sounded like he was talking about being there with Iruka and it made all Iruka’s insides turn into a burning collage of butterflies and lightning bugs. He hadn’t felt this calm and at ease with someone in a long time, especially in this way. 

Later, after he’d finally arrive back home, he’d think about how romantic it was and it would inspire his next story but he wasn’t thinking about writing anymore. Instead, he thought about how he didn’t want to get up. 

Leaning against each other, they mostly dozed off and it wasn’t until later that Iruka woke up to find that the sun was shining and people were starting to trickle in. Waking his friend, Kakashi snorted awake and they gathered their things together so that Iruka was ready for when his flight was called. 

As excited as Iruka was to go home, he was still reluctant when people started to line up. 

“So, like,” He started awkwardly, suddenly forgetting how to ask for someone’s phone number. “Are you ever going to come to Kumo again?”

Kakashi blinked. “No.”

“Oh,” Iruka said stiffly.

“I am planning on visiting you though,” Kakashi replied with a tired smile and Iruka’s face lit up.

“Good. I’m expecting you to be on time though.”

“As long as I don’t bring memorabilia, I think I’ll be fine. Especially bottle openers and Goofy statues,” Kakashi joked but before he could say anything else, Iruka pulled him in for a hug. It was just for a moment but Kakashi squeezed him tightly, despite Kakashi’s suitcase between them. Then Kakashi let him go and Iruka started to head towards his gate with a wink.

“Make sure they’re not real bullets either!” He called and Kakashi scoffed.

The last glimpse Iruka caught of him was sadly waving with his suitcase at his feet. Iruka hadn’t failed to see how there was a book sticking out of the suitcase’s front pocket, one with familiar colours that Iruka knew quite well. It only hit him once he got on the plane that he knew that those colours were like the ones on his third book’s cover. 

“Nah, it couldn’t be,” Iruka muttered to himself on the plane. Still, he couldn’t help but chuckle to himself and excitedly wonder about when he’d see the best art teacher he’d met at the airport. 

**Author's Note:**

> Howdy! Hope you liked reading as much as I did writing.  
> I tried my hand at comedy again but mostly fluff, hope it turned out well!


End file.
